Building the capacity of librarians in Myanmar — KnowledgeDOT

A UNICEF report stated that in Myanmar, less than 55% of the children enrolled in schools complete the primary cycle. With nearly 7,000 libraries, many in communities that traditional institutions are unable to reach, they have the potential to transform lives.

The Myanmar government has developed a Master Plan to aid Myanmar libraries in their modernising efforts. The Master Plan outlines the need for libraries to adapt to the changing environment, to offer relevant resources and services in both digital and print formats and to provide an inclusive space opened to all.

KnowledgeDOT, a Singapore-based organisation set up by Valerie Siew and Amarjeet Kaur, former staff of Singapore’s National Library Board, in partnership with colleagues from the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation and the Myanmar Library Association, have designed and delivered a train-the-trainer programme to equip 25 Master Librarians with skills needed to run future-ready libraries. The HEAD Foundation, together with Myanmar Library Association and Myanmar Book Aid & Preservation Foundation are jointly supporting this programme. The programme aims to improve the competencies of public and school librarians through six modules:

Mission of Librarians: A Global Perspective

Understanding the Customer Journey

Developing Services to Meet Community Needs

Developing an Early Literacy Programme

Developing Sustainable Partnerships

Promoting and Marketing of Library Services

These modules, informed by a preliminary survey of the participants, are taught in pairs over three face-to-face and blended learning workshops.

View more photos from the workshops below. (Photography by KnowledgeDOT)